Tasting the Landscape: An Introduction to Honey Sensory Analysis
On Saturday, March 21, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute will welcome guests for a sweet and science rich celebration of spring: Introduction to Honey Sensory Analysis, a one day immersive workshop led by PCCI Executive Director Dr. Virginia Bolshakova.
From 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, participants will explore the flavor, science, and story of honey, learning how to taste and evaluate varietal honeys from the United States and around the world. The workshop includes guided tasting of approximately ten distinct honey varieties (with opportunities to sample more), insight into crystallization and natural honey defects, and an exploration of how local environment and biodiversity translate directly into the diversity of flavor found in honey. Tea service and a honey inspired lunch round out the experience.
Dr. Bolshakova brings a rare combination of ecological science, field experience, and formal sensory training to the course. A broadly trained insect ecologist, she has spent her career studying how floral diversity shapes pollinator and parasitoid communities, research that deepens our understanding of how landscape stewardship influences insect health and ecosystem resilience. With nearly 20 years of beekeeping experience, she has observed firsthand how differences in bloom, soil, season, and land use are expressed in the jar.
Her approach to honey tasting is grounded in advanced training completed at the University of California Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, home to one of the most respected Sensory Evaluation of Honey programs in the world. As described in the American Bee Journal feature “Tasting, Really Tasting Honey,” the UC Davis course trains participants not merely to sample honey, but to analyze it by building a shared vocabulary through the Honey Flavor Wheel, applying structured tasting protocols, and distinguishing authentic sensory characteristics from defects and adulteration. The program emphasizes disciplined observation, reproducible scoring methods, and the science of how we perceive color, taste, and aroma.
During the March 21 workshop, Dr. Bolshakova will introduce participants to the fundamentals of sensory science inspired by UC Davis instruction. Guests will learn how color perception depends on light and visual receptors, how taste is traditionally categorized into five primary types, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, and how much of what we call taste is actually aroma perceived retronasally. The session will draw from the descriptive analysis framework developed by honey experts Amina Harris and Orietta Gianjorio, whose work helped create the 99 term Honey Flavor Wheel to support precise, shared sensory language.
Participants will also examine mono varietal honeys through a structured protocol, evaluating color, aroma, flavor intensity, mouthfeel, and finish, while discussing how crystallization, glucose fructose ratios, handling, and storage influence texture and perception. The workshop will address natural versus true defects in honey, including fermentation, overheating, and smoke contamination, underscoring the importance of quality standards and consumer education.
More than a tasting, this workshop invites participants to see honey as a living expression of land and care. Just as wine reflects vineyard and climate, honey carries the ecological fingerprint of flowering plants, soil conditions, seasonal rhythms, and the stewardship decisions made across a landscape. For Dr. Bolshakova, whose ecological research has long focused on the value of floral diversity to insect communities, honey offers a sensory bridge between biodiversity science and everyday experience.
As winter gives way to spring, Introduction to Honey Sensory Analysis offers a meaningful way to celebrate the season through curiosity, conversation, and flavor. Whether you are a beekeeper, gardener, food enthusiast, or simply honey curious, this workshop promises a thoughtful and delicious day of learning.
Space is limited. Register now and join us for this sweet learning experience at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute.
Register today.
Be inspired together in nature.